The incorporation of graphical user interface (GUI) technology in operating systems for computers, in particular personal computers and workstations, is well known. Examples of GUI-based operating systems include the Windows.TM. version 3.1 user interface running in conjunction with the MS DOS operating system for IBM PC and compatible personal computers (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash.); and the Windows NT.TM. operating system (Microsoft Corp., Redmond, Wash.), which is portable to various kinds of computer systems.
GUI-based operating systems represent a welcome advance over older, character-based operating systems. Typically, they are easier to learn, more powerful, and more "user-friendly" than their character-based predecessors.
Unfortunately, with known GUI-based operating systems, the power of GUI technology is sometimes least available when it is most needed. An example illustrates: Suppose that a computer user decides to enhance the computer system by installing a new peripheral device. The user plugs in the peripheral device according to the manufacturer's instructions, turns on the computer's power switch, and installs driver software for the peripheral by running an installation program on a floppy disk supplied by the manufacturer. The user expects that the next time the computer is used, the new peripheral will be fully operational. Hoping for this outcome, the user turns off the computer, then turns it back on, and receives an unpleasant surprise as the system promptly crashes. A fatal error occurs that prevents the computer from successfully loading ("bootstrapping") the operating system or, alternatively, from executing the operating system once loaded. The user, who is determined to get the new peripheral to work, rechecks the connections and hardware settings, and tries again. Once again the system fails.
Now the user would like to determine the exact source of the problem and, if possible, to fix it. In particular, the user would like to determine whether the problem has to do with the interaction between the new peripheral and the computer, an interaction controlled by the driver software. Possibly the driver software is not properly configured for the user's particular system. However, to run the repair programs needed to remove the installed driver software or modify its configuration, the user must first somehow bypass the improperly configured driver software.
To coax the computer into working properly, the user dusts off a well-worn floppy disk that contains an old-style character-based operating system. The user does not ordinarily run this obsolete operating system and, perhaps, has even forgotten most of its commands. Still, it is the most promising alternative at this point.
The user inserts the floppy disk into the floppy drive, turns on the computer, and the character-based operating system loads successfully. The user can now run repair programs-but only so long as they are compatible with the old character-based operating system. It is not possible to run a GUI-based repair program from within the character-based operating system, and so the benefits of GUI performance are unavailable to the user as he or she faces the potentially difficult tasks of debugging and repair.
The foregoing situation is by no means unusual. Similar problems can occur in other instances, for example when a user wishes to install a new GUI-based operating system for the first time or to connect a computer to an untested network. To diagnose and debug the problems that inevitably arise, the user can end up resorting to the antiquated technology of the character-based user interface.